Under the Dark Lord's Reign
by Ryan Wade
Summary: A post-war, alternate universe in which Voldemort and his supporters win the war. All of the muggleborns are either killed or captured, and Hermione is purchased by Lucius Malfoy as a gift to his son, Draco.
1. Chapter 1

Under the Dark Lord's Reign Chapter One

All rights to Harry Potter belong to J.K. Rowling, not me.

Hermione's deepest fears had come true. As she lay chained to the floor of a rather musty smelling dungeon, she took it upon herself to reflect upon what had recently transpired:

 _As Voldemort led his supporters towards them, with Hagrid in tow, it took a moment for Hermione to register what she was seeing. "Harry Potter… is dead!" exclaimed Voldemort. Hermione felt like screaming, but all that escaped her lips was a whimper as she felt her knees grow weak. Before reality could sink in among the students surrounding her, the Dark Lord and his Death Eaters began sending curses in their direction. Neville was the first to die, killed by Voldemort himself, then fell Ginny, and then Ron. Hermione was too shocked to fully process the fact that her closest friends all lay dead, but she recognized that the war was lost, and forgetting her pride, ran for her life._

 _She had escaped into the Forbidden Forest, but after what felt like hours of running, she was spent. She collapsed against a tree and allowed her exhaustion to overtake her. She drifted off to sleep, and relived the nightmare that had just ensued._

 _She awoke to the laughter of a pair of Death Eaters. Who they were, Hermione had no way of knowing, for their faces were covered. "There you are, mudblood," said the taller of the two. He wrenched her to her feet, and Hermione didn't even bother resisting. What was the point of fighting them? All hope was lost. "You're a looker, aren't ya?" he stated more than asked. "I reckon you'll fetch an excellent price." Hermione jerked her head up at his last words, eyes wide. "That's right, girl. You're going to be a proper wizard's slave, as you always should have been." With that, the Death Eater muttered an incantation, and Hermione felt herself drift into unconsciousness._

After that, Hermione had awoken in the cell she now lay chained to. She didn't know how long she'd been in here. Days? Weeks? It was too hard to keep track of time in this wretched place. There was no way to differentiate between night and day, as no light reached her cell, or the room beyond it.

She continued to think of Ginny, and Neville, and Ron, and Harry. Oh God, Harry… As much as it hurt her to think of them, she could no longer shed any tears. She had spent every waking moment crying, to the point that she now had no tears left to shed. She felt hollow. Why did she have to run from them? If she'd only fought, she would have died alongside her friends. Surely, such a fate was preferable to her current one.

As she lay there, lost in her thoughts, she was startled by the screeching of her cell door being opened. As the guard stepped in, she was expecting him to provide her with some of the same kind of scrap that she'd been living on since her arrival here, so she was surprised by the words that came from his mouth, "Get up, mudblood." She did as she was told, scrambling to her unsteady legs. She had learned in her first couple of days here not to resist, and had the cuts and bruises to prove it. The guard removed her chains, shouted, "Come on already!" then grabbed her by the arm and jerked her out of her cell.

As she stepped though the threshold, she was shocked to see who was standing there waiting for her. "Here she is, sir," said the guard. "Well, well, what a pleasant surprise," came an all too familiar voice. It belonged to none other than Lucius Malfoy. "Granger, is it?" Hermione nodded, trying hard to conceal the dread that was building up inside of her. "I daresay Draco will be most pleased when I present you to him. How much for her?" Lucius inquired. "Five thousand galleons, sir," the guard responded. "Very well, inform your employer of my desire to purchase her." "Of course. back in your cell, mudblood. Go on!" She did as she was told, and was once again left chained to the floor.

Hermione's heart was racing. Merlin! Of all the people who could have purchased her, why did it have to be the Malfoys? Why? She shuddered as she imagined what Draco might do to her. _That bloody ferret!_ At that thought, Hermione suddenly wished that she'd never called him that to his face, that she'd never slapped him, or laughed at him. Sure, he'd still have hated her, but at least he wouldn't hate her as much as he did. As soon as she thought these things, however, her old resolve returned to her. Draco was a coward, and if it wasn't for him, Dumbledore would still be alive, and none of this would have happened. No, she hated every fiber of his being just as much as he hated her. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction of seeing her in this pathetic state. Hermione took a deep breath and strengthened her resolve as she heard the door to her cell open. Lucius had returned to claim the new Malfoy slave.


	2. Chapter 2

Under the Dark Lord's Reign Chapter Two

J.K. Rowling owns all rights to the Harry Potter Universe

Hermione stayed still as the guard undid her chains, only to fasten a new one around her neck. "Here you are, sir," the guard said as he handed the chain to Lucius. Malfoy Senior said nothing as he dragged Hermione along beside him toward the stairs leading out of the dungeon.

Hermione kept her eyes on her feet as they ascended the stone steps, struggling to maintain her balance in her weakened state. As she clamored over the last step, she raised her head to take in her surroundings.

The hallway they now marched through had the same feel as the room below. It was gloomy, the only light being emitted by the sconces that lined the walls. They came to rest at what appeared to be a fireplace, and Hermione knew full well what was to come next.

Lucius stepped into the fireplace and jerked Hermione's chain, creating an extremely unpleasant pressure on her neck. Reluctantly, she stepped into the fireplace beside him, and felt her breath hitch as he grabbed a handful of floo powder and bellowed the words "Malfoy Manor." There was a green light, and next she knew, she was blundering out of a different fireplace, this one belonging to the very same room in which Bellatrix had tortured her.

Lucius again jerked her chain and led her through a hallway, up a flight of stairs, through another hallway, and finally into a rather large bedroom. Every accessory, from the bedspread to the rug in the center of the room, bore the colors of Slytherin House. Lucius led her to the four-poster bed, and fastened her chain to one of the front posts. He eyed her up and down. "Now, be a good little mudblood, and don't try anything," he said, before walking back to the bedroom door, glancing over his shoulder at Hermione, and closing the door behind him as he exited the room.

Hermione sat upon the foot of the bed, her mind racing. There was a window to her left that she could try to escape from, but that wouldn't be possible unless she got out of this wretched chain. She didn't have her wand, what could she do? Nothing.

Hermione slouched over, feeling defeated, and began to sob. As she allowed misery to overcome her, however, she remembered her vow not to let Draco see her in this state. She wiped her eyes with the sleeve of her shirt, and forced herself to regain her composure.

For a few minutes, she sat there, waiting. Then, she heard voices coming from the other side of the door, "A Surprise?" inquired one voice. "What kind of a surprise?" the voice continued. "See for yourself." At this, the bedroom door opened and in walked Lucius, followed by one of the people Hermione hated most, Draco sodding Malfoy.

Draco's eyes were on his father as he strutted into the room. Hermione stirred, and Draco's gaze moved from his father onto her. Their eyes met, and Draco wore a startled look on his face that Hermione might have found funny if they were still in school. His face quickly returned to its neutral state.

"Well?" asked Lucius. For a moment, Draco remained silent, then, he turned to Lucius, "Thank you father." A sick smile crept upon Lucius's face, "You are most welcome, Draco. You deserve it. I have some matters to attend to and should be back in the evening. In the meantime, enjoy your new… pet." He turned on his heel and left the bedroom, closing the door as he exited.

Draco simply stared at her for a moment, the tension in the room was thick. Hermione glowered at him. Draco returned her look with a smile. "Hello Granger," he walked across the room and rested against a desk to the left of the door. "I must admit, when father said he had a surprise for me, I certainly wasn't expecting this. I'm quite delighted to see you in your rightful place, serving a pureblood family. Have you learned your place yet, Granger? If not, I suppose I'll have to teach it to you."

Hermione felt her temper flare, "Go to hell, Malfoy," she said through gritted teeth. Draco lifted his index finger and moved it pack and forth like the pendulum of a grandfather clock. "Tsk, tsk, Granger. You'll address me as master from now on, since that's what I am. I'll let it go just this once, since we're just now establishing that rule."

"Like hell I will, ferret!" In an instant, the mood of the room darkened. Draco's smile faded, replaced by his trademark sneer. "I warned you, mudblood." He approached Hermione and loosened her chain from the post. "I wager a week in the cellar will sort you out."

Hermione laughed bitterly. "I just came from a dungeon, I hardly see how being locked in a cellar is any different." Truthfully, she dreaded the thought of having to spend another second chained to the floor of some gloomy, wretched place, but she wasn't about to let Draco know that. She wasn't going to give him the satisfaction. He pulled on her chain, leaving her little choice but to follow him out of the room, and down to the cellar.

Still, Hermione reasoned, she'd prefer the cellar to being chained to Draco Malfoy's bed. His smug look had returned to him, and Hermione wanted very much to slap it off his face, much as she had done in their third year.

They descended the steps to the cellar and came to rest outside the iron gate. Draco sighed, "I take no pleasure in doing this, Granger." Hermione was taken aback by this statement, but before she could question it, he threw his head back and guffawed. "Joking. I find this quite enjoyable. Give it a week, and you'll be begging me to chain you back to my bed." He opened the cellar's gate, threw Hermione in, and slammed it shut behind her.

"I'll consider sending a servant to bring you some food and water every few days, but I make no promises," he drawled, before turning around and marching back up the stairs. "You bastard!" The words had come out of Hermione's mouth before she could stop them. She hated every fiber of Draco's existence, but she was a smart witch.

She knew that she was at his mercy, and insulting him would only make things worse for her in the long run. Draco, however, showed no signs of caring about what she'd said. He was already at the top of the stairs, and after turning a corner Hermione could no longer see him.

She walked to a corner of the cellar and sat down, drawing her legs up to her chest and burying her face in them. She didn't know how long she sat there, crying silently, before she fell asleep.

OOOoooOOOoooOOOoooOOOoooOOOoooOOOoooOOOoooOOO

Hermione laid there for what seemed like days, and she still hadn't been given anything to eat or drink. How dare Draco do this to her, that bastard. She swore to herself that she would get her revenge on him, someday. She didn't know what she'd do to him, but whatever she decided, he would deserve every second of the suffering she was to inflict upon him.

She was disrupted from her thoughts as she heard the footsteps of someone coming down the stairs. As the figure reached the cellar's gate, Hermione immediately recognized that the creature was a house elf due to its small stature. "Master Draco ordered Winky to bring you this food, miss," the elf said. She was holding a tray in her left hand, and upon snapping the fingers of her right one, the tray disappeared, immediately reappearing on Hermione's side of the iron bars.

"Thank you, Winky!" Hermione exclaimed. She rushed over towards the gate and grabbed the tray, which had still been floating in midair. She glanced down at the food, not entirely sure what it was. If Hermione had to choose a word to describe it, she'd go with slop.

A year ago, she'd never have agreed to eat something like this, but now wasn't a time to be picky. There were no utensils, so she resorted to grabbing a handful of it and stuffing it in her mouth. It didn't taste particularly good, but it was tolerable.

A few minutes later Hermione had finished, and she slid the tray between the iron bars of the gate to return it to Winky. As she looked Winky up and down, memories of S.P.E.W. came racing into her mind. The Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare, she had called it. Even though only a few years had passed, it felt like a lifetime ago.

"What are you doing here, Winky?" Hermione asked in the politest tone she could muster. "As Winky told miss, Master Draco sent Winky here to bring miss food," the elf responded. "No," Hermione began hotly, "I mean what are you doing in this house, serving the Malfoys? You were a free elf!"

The elf remained silent for a moment, before replying, "Winky wouldn't expect miss to understand. Winky never wanted freedom. After the Battle of Hogwarts was over, Winky set out to find a new master. She approached the Malfoys and offered a lifetime of service, free of charge. Master Lucius is a gracious wizard, and he accepted Winky's offer!" The house elf's face lit up when she had finished speaking.

Hermione lay sulking in the corner after her conversation with Winky had ended. She knew she had managed to offend the elf after saying a few not so pleasant things about the Malfoys. Hermione didn't care, though. The desire that seemed ingrained in most house elves to remain oppressed baffled her, and she vowed not to waste any more breath on the matter for the time being. She rested against the wall, and drifted off to sleep.

Author's Notes: I know that some of you will be annoyed to see a character like Winky in the story, but I promise, most of the story is going to focus on Hermione and Draco. Also, any feedback you may for me have is greatly appreciated.


	3. Chapter 3

Under the Dark Lord's Reign Chapter Three

All rights belong to You-Know-Who (J.K. Rowling)

First off, thank you to everyone who's followed, favorited, and reviewed the story. To Black Rook: Thank you for your input. I hadn't decided for sure where I was going with the story, but your advice helped me generate a few ideas. Without further adieux, here's chapter three:

The following couple of days were the same, with Winky bringing Hermione a tray a food periodically, along with some water. Hermione hadn't spoken to the elf much since their first encounter, aside from thanking her every time she brought her meals.

Hermione was laying on the floor when she heard footsteps coming down the stairs. These were heavier than Winky's, so it must have been one of the Malfoys. Hermione's intuition proved true as Draco approached the gate to the cellar. He unlocked it and stepped over the threshold. Hermione got to her feet, her eyes never leaving Draco's. He took a few long strides, closing the gap between them, before placing his hands in his pockets.

"I think you've been in here long enough," he said. He stepped slightly to her left and stretched out his left hand in the direction the stairs, beckoning her forward. Hermione found his behavior odd, having expected him to be more forceful. Ignoring this, she walked past Draco towards the steps, with him walking close behind.

After reaching the ground floor, they traipsed through the same two hallways and the flight of stairs Lucius had first led her though, and entered what Hermione knew to be Draco's bedroom.

Draco shut the door behind them. "Have a seat," he said, before gesturing to a chair next to his desk. Hermione felt more uncomfortable now than she had during their first encounter a week before. She didn't like how civil Draco was being. People didn't change overnight, and he was certainly no exception. Still, she reckoned she might as well see where he was going with this.

She sat down, crossed her legs, and folded her arms, doing a poor job of hiding her discomfort. "Are you hungry?" he asked. Hermione nodded, and Draco walked over to his nightstand, resting on top of which was a bowl filled with various fruits. He crossed the room and set the bowl on the desk.

Hermione stared at the fruit, the gears of her mind churning. It was blatantly obvious that he was trying to manipulate her, to play with her emotions. Still, she wasn't so easily manipulated, and why not take advantage of his offer? She reached her hand into the bowl, grabbing hold of an apple.

She took a bite out of and chewed, closing her eyes to enjoy the flavor, before swallowing. When she opened them, she found that Draco was grinning. Hermione couldn't say why, but seeing him smile like that pissed her off. She set the apple down and quickly got to her feet. "Why are you smiling?" she asked heatedly.

Draco's grin widened. "No reason," he said. Hermione continued to stand there, fuming. His smile faded. "I just thought you might like some actual food after a week of eating the stuff Winky's been bringing you." Hermione walked across the room before turning back to face him. "Why would you care?" she asked.

Draco sighed. "I just thought I'd try to be civil, but if you prefer that I cut to the chase, have it your way." There it was. Hermione knew he had been up something. He opened a drawer of his desk and pulled out a stack of parchment, setting it atop the ornate piece of furniture.

"Come over here and see if you can make any sense of this," he commanded. Hermione didn't appreciate being bossed around, but she nevertheless complied, allowing her curiosity to get the better of her. She picked up the topmost piece of parchment, and looked it over.

It was covered in various runes and symbols, most of which Hermione didn't recognize. "I can't make out any of the symbols," Draco began, "and even if I could, I expect there's a deeper meaning to them." Hermione looked up at him. "A hidden meaning, you mean. Is it some sort of cipher?" she asked. Draco scoffed. "Call it what you like. Can you solve it?"

Hermione considered his question. "I could," she stated plainly. "Then solve it!" Draco exclaimed exasperatedly. "Why should I?" asked Hermione, "It doesn't mean anything to _me_ " Draco's face flushed. "Because I told you to." She allowed his words to sink in. She could defy him, but that would only land her in the cellar for another week, which she'd prefer to avoid.

"Fine," she began, "but it's going to take time. I need access to a library, which I assume you have, and it'll take days, if not weeks to solve." Draco inhaled sharply upon hearing the word _weeks_. "Unacceptable! Four days, Granger." He paced around the room, before continuing, "The library is through the door at the end of the hall." He continued to pace. "You can head there now, and you'll return to the cellar after you've finished for the day."

"Absolutely not!" Hermione interjected, and before Draco could respond, she continued, "If you want my help with this, then I demand to be treated respectfully. I want a bed to sleep in, not some dank cellar!" Draco eyed her carefully. "Fine. You can sleep in one of the guest bedrooms, after it's been properly warded, of course." Hermione had to stop herself from looking as smug as she was feeling. She had won this battle of wills more easily than she'd expected. "I'll head to the library, then," and with that, she grabbed the stack of parchment and exited his bedroom, heading for the door at the end of the hallway.

OOOoooOOOoooOOOoooOOOoooOOOoooOOOoooOOOoooOOO

Hermione had been in the library for more than seven hours. After leaving Draco's bedroom, she came here immediately, just as she'd agreed to. She had looked over a few dozen books before finding the current one, _Ancient Runes and Their Meanings_ , which lay open on the desk in front of her. She had experienced some trouble trying to discover a pattern, but in the last couple of hours she'd made considerable progress.

She wagered she could fully decipher it after another day or two of study. Feeling that she'd done enough for one day, she exited the library and approached Draco's bedroom door. She knocked thrice. "It's Hermione," she said, "I feel I've made enough progress for one night, so it's time you to fulfill your end of the bargain." Hermione fell silent for a moment, then the door opened, and out came Draco.

He wore a sour look on his face, grabbed Hermione by the arm, and led her to the opposite side of the second floor. They came to rest outside a burgundy colored door, which opened to reveal a marvelous bedroom. It didn't compare to Draco's, but it was far nicer than any room Hermione had ever slept in.

She failed to stop a smile from creeping onto her face. "You find it satisfactory, then?" Draco inquired. "I thought you would. It's one of the sorriest rooms in the entire manor, but no doubt it overshadows whatever pathetic excuse for a bedroom your muggle parents provided you."

His comments immediately wiped the smile off her face. It was as if he'd just read her mind. "I'd like some privacy." she stated flatly. "Fine," said Draco, "but I expect you to be back in the library by dawn." He spun on his heel and left the room, leaving Hermione to her own private musings. She crawled into bed and immediately fell asleep.

The night seemed to drag on endlessly, with Hermione jerking awake every so often thanks to the nightmares she kept having. She dreamt of Harry's limp body in Hagrid's arms, of Ron dropping to the ground in front of her, beside the bodies of Ginny and Neville. As she laid there, wide awake, she wondered to herself. What would they say if they could see her now? If they could see her bending to the will of Draco Malfoy, one of the people she, Harry, and Ron hated most?

Hermione felt ashamed of herself. What was she thinking, serving the Malfoys when she should be out there trying to find a way to destroy Voldemort? Yet, as she sat there pondering this question, she realized something.

Draco had caved to her demands once already to convince her to figure out what all those symbols meant, and he'd been insistent that she figure it out within four days' time. What could cause him to feel such a rush? Not to mentioned, he had seemed nervous, frightened even, at the prospect of missing the deadline he assigned her to. Then, it dawned upon her.

Voldemort must have assigned him the task of solving it. If Draco failed to deliver, he would probably be killed. That wasn't what bothered Hermione, however. _It'd be no less than the ferret deserves_ , she thought to herself. No, what bothered her was the fact that she was helping Voldemort in exchange for a comfortable place to sleep. Disturbed by her revelation, and assuming it was true, she turned over and closed her eyes, vowing to investigate further in the morning.


	4. Chapter 4

Under the Dark Lord's Reign Chapter Four

J.K. Rowling owns all rights to Harry Potter

First off, I apologize for any confusion caused earlier. I uploaded this chapter this morning, but decided to make a few changes, which for whatever reason, didn't take effect when I re-uploaded it, hence the reason it acted as if it updated without there being a new chapter. Hopefully it works this time. Thanks to all those who have followed, favorited, and reviewed, and a special thanks to Black Rook for his or her feedback. Enjoy:

Hermione awoke in the morning feeling far better than she had in weeks. She threw off her covers and swung her feet over the edge of the bed. Sleeping on the floor of the cellar hadn't exactly worked wonders for her back, but sleeping on the soft surface that she now sat upon had helped alleviate some of her discomfort. She was too tired the previous night to fully take in her surroundings. As she looked around the room, she noticed a door hanging ajar to her left.

She got to her feet and approached it, hoping that what lay beyond was exactly what she thought it was. Sure enough, as she pushed the door open, it revealed a tiled bathroom with an ornate sink and mirror in one corner, and a built-in bathtub in another. Images of the prefect's bathroom at Hogwarts immediately came to mind, for while this bath wasn't quite as voluminous, it was still a good three feet deep, twice as wide, and had eight taps.

Hermione glanced over her shoulder at the door leading out of her bedroom, thinking. She hadn't had a bath since… since before the world went to hell. She wondered if she should risk it, though. Draco would undoubtedly come looking for her if he woke up and found she wasn't in the library. Sighing, she moved from the threshold she was standing in and left her bedroom to make good on her deal with Draco.

As she walked past Draco's room, the door swung open. "Morning, Mudblood," he said in his usual arrogant tone, before taking a bite out of the pear in his hand. Hermione willed herself to control her temper. _He's been calling you a Mudblood since second year. Don't let it get to you,_ she thought to herself. "Morning," she replied. Her eyes rested on the pear he was holding. Draco seemed to notice this.

"I take it you're hungry?" he asked, but before Hermione could reply he retreated into his room momentarily, before returning with a bowl of fruit. "Go on, then," he said, "Can't expect you to work efficiently on an empty stomach, can I?" She grabbed an apple, and without saying another word to him, headed for the library to begin working.

OOOoooOOOoooOOOoooOOOoooOOOoooOOOoooOOOoooOOO

A couple of hours passed before Hermione remembered what she had vowed to do this morning. She abruptly stopped her research and walked purposefully to Draco's bedroom door. She knocked hard, but there was no answer. Figuring he must be somewhere else in the manor, she began her search for him.

She knocked on every door of the second floor, but to no avail. Rather than search through every room, Hermione decided it would be best not to wander into any rooms she hadn't been given clear permission to enter. She headed down to the first floor, but before she could begin searching it, she heard hushed voices coming from the ground floor. She listened intently, trying to overhear what was being said.

She could make out what was distinctly the voice of Lucius. "If the Dark Lord finds out you've entrusted a Mudblood with a task of such importance!" Now came Draco's, "She's the brightest witch I went to school with, father, and if I don't meet his deadline, he'll kill us all!"

Yet again, it seemed that Hermione's intuition had proved true. She retreated up the stairs to the library and grabbed the stack of parchment she had agreed to study. There was no way she was going to help Voldemort. He had taken everything from her. Her friends, her freedom… everything. She'd have to destroy the papers, but how? She didn't have her wand, and to simply rip them to shreds would be a waste of time; Draco could just use the Mending Charm to fix them.

She'd have to burn them, it was the only way. The library, like the rest of the house, was lined with sconces. It would be a simple task, but it would take time to burn them all. Not wanting anyone to figure out what she was up to, Hermione set all but one piece of parchment down before proceeding to one of the corners of the library.

She approached the nearest flame, and after looking to her left and right, held the parchment over it… nothing happened. Why on earth wasn't it burning? "Damn it!" she heard herself yell. Just then, the door to the library creaked open. "What's going on?" shouted Draco. "Granger!" Before Hermione could react, Draco rounded the end of a row of bookshelves and spotted her.

"I… I was just…" her mind was drawing a blank. Understanding dawned upon his face. "Thought you'd try and destroy it, did you?" he asked. "Er," she began pathetically, until suddenly, she felt her Gryffindor courage return to her. "Yes," she began, "I thought I'd at least try to." Draco's lip curled. "We had a deal."

"That was before I knew that I was helping Voldemort!" she retorted. The color drained from Draco's face before he shouted, "Don't say his name!" Hermione couldn't help but laugh. It was a bitter laugh, for there was no real humor in their current situation. "Still afraid to say his name?" she asked. Now, Draco's face went pink.

"Of course I am. I'm not stupid." He looked her up and down. "Wait a minute… how did you know…" but before he could finish his question, Hermione, having already known what was to come next, answered, "I overheard you speaking to your father."

"Been spying on my, have you?" He adopted a wary looking expression before asking, "What else did you hear?" Hermione had a feeling she knew what he was worried she'd overheard. "Oh, only that you think I'm the brightest out of all the witches you attended Hogwarts with." His face turned an even deeper shade of pink. "I'm flattered," she continued, "but I won't be using my knowledge to help that monster you call lord"

"Yes… you will," he said through gritted teeth. "Throw me in the dungeon, it doesn't change the fact that in a few days you'll be dead," she replied scathingly. Draco wore a look of desperation on his face. "Look, just give me something," Draco pleaded, "Make something up, anything!" Hermione felt a twinge of pity for the young man before her.

As much as she hated him, she still didn't want him dead. She'd seen enough death already. "Fine, but it won't do much good," she murmured, before continuing in a clearer voice, "You-Know-Who is skilled in Legilimency, you know. He'll know you're giving him false information." Draco adopted a haughty posture. "I'm well versed in Occlumency, Granger."

"Oh… well… good" There was an awkward silence. "Make it something believable though, will you?" He asked. "Sure," Hermione responded, before Draco turned around and exited the library. She returned to the desk and began going over everything. She would do as Draco had asked her, but in her thirst for knowledge, she swore she would also discover the true meaning of the runes.


End file.
